Clutch Purse

We’re so pleased to be joined today by Emma, the incredibly creative, super talented leader of the Fiskateers! We’re loving the clutch she’s created and hope you all do too. Happy sewing!

Hello Pellon® fans, my name is Emma and I write the Fiskateer blog, which is a blog dedicated to creative pursuits and artistic endeavors of all kinds. It’s my pleasure to join you here today and to share a tutorial for this simple but adorable clutch purse.

What you’ll need :

– 1/4 yard of two different fabrics. (I used a grey cotton canvas as the main body of my purse, and a cotton print for the flap and lining designed by Nadia Hassan and available through Spoonflower).
– Pellon® 808 Craft Fuse®
– Rotary cutter, ruler, cutting mat, scissors
– Sewing machine, pins, thread, iron etc

1. Start by cutting two pieces of fabric for the main body of the purse, measuring 12″ x 7″, and trim according to the dimensions in the photo below.

2. Round off the bottom corners along the 12″ edge. I simply used a (not very technical) jar lid to mark my curves and trimmed the fabric with shears. Be resourceful!

3. Your fabric should look like the photo below. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to create the purse lining in a contrasting print.

4. Now to make the flap. Cut two pieces of fabric measuring 10″ x 5″ and trim to the dimensions in the photo below. (I started making my flap completely in the grey canvas, but changed my mind and used my cotton print for the outside of the flap. I think the contrast between the flap and the body of the purse looks really nice, but it’s up to you to make your purse your own!)

5. Apply Pellon®’s 809 Craft Fuse® to the two flap pieces as well as the purse body outer pieces. This will give your purse strength and body and frankly, it will look and feel much more professionally finished.

6. Construct the purse flap by pinning the two flap pieces with right sides facing leaving the 10″ edge open, and sewing with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Clip the curves with scissors and turn the flap to the right side. Press with a hot iron and topstitch around the perimeter of the flap, again leaving the 10″ edge open.

7. Pin the flap to the top edge of one of the purse body pieces, with right sides facing, and sew. The flap will be about 1/2″ shorter than the body on both sides.

8. Place the second purse body piece on top of the piece with the flap sewn on, with right sides facing and sandwiching the flap between the layers. Sew the two purse body pieces together with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Do not sew along the top opening edge. Clip the curved corners.

9. Sew the two lining pieces together with right sides facing. Do not sew along the top opening edge, and leave a 3″ turning hole in the bottom.

10. Turn the outer body of the bag to the right side and keep the lining inside out. Place the outer purse inside the lining so that right sides are facing. Match up the side seams and keep the flap folded back against the back of the purse. Pin the top openings of the outer purse and the lining together and sew around the entire perimeter with a 1/2″ seam allowance.

11. Trim the seam allowance along the top edge to about 1/4″ to reduce bulk and then pull the entire outer purse and flap through the hole you left in the lining. Handstitch or machine stitch the hole closed.

12. To finish, add a button and buttonhole or magnetic snap to allow the flap to close.

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Thanks so much Emma!!

A little more about the Fiskateers:
Back in 2005, before the word “Fiskateer” became synonymous with crafting enthusiasm, Fiskars was looking for a way to connect and communicate with some pretty important people—the very crafters who used their products on a daily basis. With the help of Brains on Fire, Fiskars launched a four-city casting call for the loudest, proudest paper crafters across the country. Through road-trip conversations, scrapbooking website observations, and talks with industry insiders, Fiskars realized the need for a new type of crafting community. A community that was uplifting and encouraging, where members could feel safe to share about themselves, shine a spotlight on their handiwork, and talk openly about the tools they used to create it. (learn more here)

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Pellon® is a not just a brand – it’s a way of life. Ask any quilter and she’ll tell you which Pellon® products she relies on day in and day out. We take pride in our history and the fact that we’ve been the leading innovator in the areas of home sewing, quilting, crafting and fiber art for the past 50 years.